


Dating Life

by sam_writes_fics



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Swan - Freeform, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Once Upon a Time (TV) References, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 04:21:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21404107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sam_writes_fics/pseuds/sam_writes_fics
Summary: Set in a post-snow queen but pre-evil trio Storybrooke. A look into the more mundane aspects of Killian Jones and Emma Swan's relationship during a peaceful time for the town. Starting with him asking her on their second date, we'll see where this one takes us in the end. Enjoy!
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones & Emma Swan, Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 30





	1. She likes him. A lot.

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1: Killian walks Emma home from work and has an important question for her.

Emma was up to her eyeballs in paperwork. She was hunched over at the Sheriff's desk reading yet another incident report. In the wake of the now broken Curse of Shattered Sight, the people of Storybrooke, Maine were reporting all of the damaged caused by themselves and others during their time under the spell. Perhaps the most boring part of it all was that everyone owned up to their actions. Emma longed for a case with an unsolvable ending, or an unpredictable twist. All she wanted was the chance to stretch her old bail bonds person skills. But, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that all she really wanted was her bed. 

She had let David go home around dinner time to Mary Margaret and baby Neil. They had a thick stack of paperwork to do still, but she could see in his eyes that all he wanted was to go home to his family. Emma was of course his family too, but they got their fill of quality time on the job every day. She told him that he should go help his wife put the baby down, and that she would finish the paperwork alone. David promised to return the favor another night that week, as Emma watched him practically run out the door. 

It had been less than a week since the curse was broken, and Emma was actually very grateful for the lack of commotion in town. It seemed these days villains and mischief were turning up around every corner (literally). The break from all of the “savior” action was quite calming to her, and it was something that she could get used to. That said, some days she still longed for her previous life in New York with her son. She would go to work all day and she actually enjoyed what she did. She got to exercise her mental and physical muscles, catching bad guys without wondering if she would still be alive at the end of the chase. She didn’t quite miss it enough to go back, but it still made for a nice day dream.

Just as she was finishing her last report of the night, there was a quiet knock on her office door. Well, it was less of a knock and more of rapping sound of metal on glass. Emma looked up as she was shutting the last case file. Suddenly, her night seemed a little less bleak.

“Killain,” she said with a slight grin, “what are you doing here?”

“I was on my way to Granny’s to see if any of the merry men were there and wanted to have a drink or play darts.” Killian stepped into the room and took a seat across the desk from her. “But on my walk from the harbor, I saw the light in the sheriff’s station was still on. I didn’t see David’s truck out front, so I guessed you were still here all by yourself.”

“Well, you guessed right,” said Emma, “but not for long. I’m actually on my way out.”

“Aye. And where is it that you’re headed?” They both stood up and moved towards the door. 

“Home,” Emma barely got out through a yawn. She was exhausted. She locked up the front door and put the keys soundly in her pocket.

“May I have the pleasure of walking a sleeping Swan to her home?” Killian said as he gestured an open hand towards her. 

She took his hand in hers and answered with, “you may.”

The two of them walked hand in hand the few blocks from the station to the Charming’s small loft apartment. It was slightly cold out, but neither of them felt it on their exposed hands. They walked in silence for a while just enjoying each other’s presence. 

They turned the last corner and could see the apartment building just a few houses down. Emma glanced up at the windows to see if any of the lights were on. The upstairs window was dark, but that was no surprise. Henry was at Regina’s for the night, so no one would be in the upstairs loft anyways. The kitchen light was on, however, which either meant one or both of her parents were still awake. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about waking any of them up.

As they approached the building, Killian finally broke the silence. “Swan, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Emma turned and faced him so they were almost eye level with each other. Normally she didn’t care for guys who wore eyeliner (or any makeup for that matter), but for some reason with him it just made it so much more interesting to stare into his eyes.

“Oh yeah?” she asked. “What’s that?”

“Would you fancy going on another date with a devilishly handsome pirate, such as myself?” he asked as he took her other hand in his hook. His words were maybe arrogant, but the look on his face was vulnerable and honest.

“I would” she answered after letting him sweat for a few seconds. 

His face broke into a soft grin and he relaxed a bit. He was fairly good at hiding his nerves in the face of danger, but in a moment between just the two of them he never wanted to hide his true emotions. “Friday then,” he said as he leaned in, “I’ll pick you up at eight.” He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and flashed her a wink as he turned to walk away. The gesture was sweet, and paired perfectly with her sleepy eyes in that moment. 

She let a wide soft smile form on her face as she watched him leave. He got no more than five steps away when he turned back around. “Oh, and not that I didn’t love your outfit last time, but this time wear something a big less formal. I have an idea.”

She nodded in response as she turned towards the apartment door. She gave him one last look over her shoulder. “Goodnight, Killian.”

“Goodnight, love.” He turned on his heel and headed back in the direction of Granny’s. He put his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket and seemed to walk with a new brisk pace, no doubt due to the result of his inquiry.

Emma dug the keys back out of her pocket and started to unlock the front door.

******

“Why are you so smiley?” Mary Margaret greeted Emma as she walked through the door. The baby was on the changing table, and the water was running in the bathroom. David must be in the shower. Emma, much too tired to roll her eyes or divert the attention from herself, answered honestly.

“Killian found me at the station and walked me home,” she said as she hung her warn black leather jacket on the coat rack. “He asked me out again.”

“And what did you say?” asked Mary Margaret as she picked up baby Neil freshly changed and swaddled in a cozy blanket. 

“I said yes. Friday at eight. I was told to wear something more casual than my last outfit, but that is totally fine by me.”

“You like him. A lot.” Mary Margaret had a way of reading people that Emma never quite understood. Sure, Emma could tell if people were lying to her, but her mother could tell exactly what they were thinking without even uttering a single word.

It was true, she did like Hook. A lot. It was still new and they were figuring things out, but he was kind to her in many ways. Not to mention, he was very easy on the eyes. He made her smile and laugh, and Emma quite enjoyed their shared time together. They had already been through so much together as friends and as adventurers, what with new problems and people (and sometimes both) showing up to town every few weeks. She knew she could trust him in a fight to have her back, and she knew that he trusted her the same. What she was trying to figure out now was if she could trust him with her heart.

“Yeah,” admitted Emma, “and that’s exactly what scares me.” She wandered into the second bathroom and put her hair up into a bun. She started to take off the little bit of makeup she had on and wash her face.

Her mother stood in the doorway. “True,” she said with a now sleeping baby in her arms, “but it’s also what makes it all worthwhile.”

Emma rinsed off her face and nodded in agreement. Emma looked at her mother and smiled. It wasn’t often they got to share real mother-daughter moments, like talking about boys and her dating life. But, the few they got were genuine and made both of their hearts feel full. 

The other bathroom door opened and David came out into the open main floor of the loft. “My two favorite women,” he said as he dried his hair with his towel. “What are we talking about?”

“Girl talk,” said Mary Margaret as she walked over to the crib to put down their newborn son. “You wouldn’t understand.”

David looked at Emma for some help, but Emma just rolled her eyes with a smile and climbed the ladder to the second floor to where her bed awaited her.


	2. Marshmallows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian picks up his date for the evening and shows her a wonderful surprise.

Killian Jones was never the type to get nervous before courting a woman. Until he met Emma Swan.

The dashing captain of the Jolly Roger had courted many women in his day, and in many different ways. He was a smooth talker, and even though he only had one real hand he was very generous in his use of it. His legacy preceded him at many ports where he and his crew would dock. In the end, he always knew how to show a woman a good time, whether they were drinking in a tavern with the crew, or having a moving image encounter below the decks on his ship.

Emma though, she was different. She made his heart race in a way he hadn’t felt in many years. Her charming grin complemented his own in a way that drove him crazy. She was beautiful beyond measure, and he could spend hours just gazing upon her. But, she was also smart and witty, and he could spend just as long listening to her talk of far off places such as “New York” and “Phoenix” and other strange lands she visited in her old life. 

She definitely made him swoon, though he would never admit it. He was fairly decent at maintaining his own calm demeanor when he was trying to sweet talk her. His heart was always racing, but no one would have ever known it. Imagine how fast it was beating after she agreed to go on a second date with him.

Killian was staring into his bathroom mirror and trimming his beard. His facial hair may look like an unkempt scruff, but that effortless look took much more preparation than anyone would have guessed. Killian prided himself on his appearance, and he knew that Emma would appreciate the extra effort. 

After he was satisfied with his work on his face, he bathed and then started working on his hair. With a quick towel dry and a small amount of gel, he achieved that dashing combed over look of his dark hair. His dark features were one of his favorite parts about himself. He thought they complemented Emma’s light features very well. 

He threw on some of the “normal” clothes he had bought over the few weeks he sprang in Storybrooke. While he did enjoy his pirate coat and his leather pants the most, he thought it inappropriate for his date tonight. He stepped into some dark jeans (not quite black, but close) and long sleeve black shirt. It was thick, which was perfect for the constantly dropping temperatures of Maine at night. It has three medium sized buttons leading down from the collar. He undid two of them.

He grabbed his leather jacket off the back of a chair. He enjoyed this piece of clothing the mot because it most resembled the clothing of his old life. Though it many be a bit shorter, and it was missing a dramatic collar, he enjoyed wearing it.

He took one last look in the mirror before he set out for the night. He looked good. Killian Jones was confident enough to admit when he looked good, and everyone knew it. It wasn’t exactly in his nature as a pirate captain to be humble. He grinned at himself. He picked up his new satchel (they call it a “backpack”), and headed out the door to find his date.

*****

Killian finished climbing the stairs of the apartment building at exactly 7:59. Over one arm he has his bag, and in his other hand he had a brown takeout bag. He walked up to the door and knocked softly with his hook, as he remembered that there was a possibly sleeping baby on the other side. 8:00, right on time.

Mary Margaret opened the door with a very much awake baby Neil in her arms. She smiled at him. “Good evening, Captain.”

“Good evening, my lady,” he returned as she opened the door wider for him to step inside. “How are you and the little on this evening?”

“We are hanging in there,” she called over her shoulder as she walked back to the kitchen to stir whatever she was making on the stove. “Neil just ate, so he should be down for the count pretty soon. My. Husband is still at the station, but he said that there isn’t much work left to do and he’ll be home soon. As for me, I plan on falling asleep on the couch as I watch something on Netflix.”

“Sounds like you’ve got quite a night planned,” he responded genuinely.

“The real question is, what do you have planned?” Emma asked as she stepped off the final step of the ladder leading to her loft. 

Hook spun around at the sound of her voice and looked her up and down. Casual jeans with a cream colored turtleneck and boots. He took just enough of a moment to admire her in this outfit, but not enough of one to give her a chance to make fun of him for staring. 

“You look beautiful as always,” he admired as he took her hand and brought it to his lips, where he placed a gentle kiss without losing her gaze.

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she retorted with her now pink cheeks. “So where exactly are we going?”

“I’m afraid it is a bit too early for me to reveal that surprise,” he said with a smirk. “Shall we?” He held out his arm for Emma to hold onto.

She took his arm and they headed towards the door. “Goodnight mom,” she said over her shoulder.

“Good night, my lady,” Killian said with a half sarcastic bow as he closed the door behind him (she was still a princess in the Enchanted Forest after all).

Mary Margaret smiled and bowed her head in return as she moved towards the crib to put the baby down.

*****

“Are we there yet?” Emma asked as she trudged along up the hill. She enjoyed surprises, but when it involved her climbing a hill without knowing what awaited her arrival, she got a bit irritated.

“Just a few more feet,” responded Killian over his shoulder with a smirk. His hand was intertwined with hers as he practically dragged her up the hill. He knew that she would love what he had planned. Well, he hoped she would.

As they reached the peak of the hill, they stopped walking and Emma’s eyes fell upon her surprise.

There was an old picnic bench at the top, covered with a soft tablecloth and prepped with plates, glasses, and silverware. On one side of the table stood candles, not yet lit. On the other, sat a bucket of ice holding a bottle of wine and a smaller bottle of rum. There was a fire pit a few feet away, and it appeared to be stocked with wood just waiting for someone to light it. 

The whole area sat under the open night sky far away from the glistening lights of the town. They could see all of the stars from where they were standing, and it took Emma’s breath away. It was beautiful and romantic.

Killian guided her over to the table, and gestured for her to sit on the wooden bench. As she sat down, he opened the brown paper bag he was carrying with him. Inside held two grilled cheese sandwiches and two sides of onion rings from Granny’s. Her favorite. He laid them out on their plates and reached in his pocket for a lighter. He illuminated the candles and finally sat down across from Emma.

“This is wonderful,” she said as she reached across the table for his hook, “thank you.”

“Only the best for you, love,” he replied with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. “Now, let’s eat before the food gets cold, and then I’ll show you the rest.”

“There’s more?” asked Emma with a genuine surprise. This was already one of the best dates she had ever been on.

“Aye, love,” Killian said through a mouthful of grilled cheese. Emma laughed.

*****

Once they had finished eating, and the wine was gone, Killian moved over to the fire pit and started to get the flames going. Emma still sat at the table, hand in her hand as she admired him working from a far. Killian could feel her eyes on him as he tried to start the fire. It made him slightly nervous, but he got the fire roaring in no time at all.

“Swan,” he called out to her, “come over here. And bring my bag.”

Emma did as she was told and brought the bag (and the rum) over. He took the bag from her and dropped it on the ground. He put the rum in his coat pocket.

“Look,” he said as he gestured out over the valley that lay beneath the hill they stood on. In the distance you could see the heart of Storybrooke, with all the lights and shops still open in the center of town.

They both turned and faced the gorgeous view as they stood by the warm fire. It was cold out in the woods at night this time of year. Killian reached his arm around Emma and rested his hand on her hip. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head. She smelled so good.

They stood like that for what seemed like forever before Emma turned towards him. His hand still rested lightly on her hip as he looked into her eyes. He saw happiness in them. Whether it was her happiness in the moment, or his happiness with her in the future, he did not know.

Emma took a half step towards him. Killian always let the lady make the first move, to show him a sign that she wanted what he wanted too. After that first move, then he took control of the situation.

Emma took a half step towards him, and Killian’s hand left her hip and landed on her face caressing her cheekbone. His hook found its way to her other hip, positioned perfectly to draw her closer to him at any moment. Her hands rested on his chest, mindlessly playing with the buttons on his shirt. He took one last moment to flicker his sight between her eyes and her lips, seeing that they both wanted what came next.

He moved his hand from her face down her neck and into her loose blonde curls, and his hook wrapped around her back pressing their chests together. With their eyes closed and their hearts racing, their mouths found each other in a slow but deep kiss. Every nerve in his body was shot. Fireworks danced in his head and he could feel her body relax against his embrace.

He deepened the kiss, holding her tighter, as if he could bring her physically any closer to him than she already was.Her hands reached up and found the back of his neck, where he was sure all of his hair was standing straight up. They played softly with his hair and put slight pressure on his neck to bring him closer to her. He was glad she was reciprocating his actions.

Killian’s hand and hook were now resting on the small of Emma’s back. He moved his way down slowly and gently. He stopped right as he got to the top of her backside. With any other girl, he would have kept advancing in that moment. But Emma wasn’t just any other girl. His gesture showed that he was interested in exploring more of the curves of the body, but not in such a crass way that he took what he wanted before he felt the time was right. 

When they finally broke that first kiss of the night, they stood there frozen looking into each other’s eyes. It lasted less than a minute before he lost control and went in for more.

Their lips met once again parted and filled with anticipation. This time, Killian put a little more heat into the kiss than before. Developing a slow but passionate rhythm of kissing, Killian’s hands roamed from her hips to the bottom of her ribs up her sides and all across her back. Her hands sat behind his head, with one hand grasping at his short dark hair, and the other holding onto his neck to stabilize herself.

Killian’s tongue flicked into Emma’s mouth, quickly but softly, as if to test out the motion. He waited a moment to see if there was any disagreement. His tongue went in again moving slowly and softly over her own. He kept it up for a minute, but then retreated back to their regular make out motions. Killian Jones had mastered just how much of that sort of thing women like.

Once they were both out of breath and their lips were starting to feel raw, the broke apart their kiss but still remained in each other’s embrace. Their foreheads rested against each other while they both tried to catch their breath with their eyes still closed. They stood like that for a while, enjoying the body heat flowing between them. Emma was the first to move. She moved her head back and tilted her chin up so she was looking into his eyes.

“Killian, that was…” she trailed off at a loss for words.

“I know,” he responded, looking longingly into her eyes. “Only the best for you, love.”

He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Emma smiled back at him.

“Now,” said Killian as he took her by the hand and led her to sit with him next to the fire that was still roaring behind them, “do you know what marshmallows are?”

Emma laughed as he pulled out a bag of marshmallows from his backpack. He might not understand all of the things in this world yet, but these seemed to be the most perplexing. “I saw Robin in the store earlier as I was preparing all of this, and he suggested these might be a good idea to bring. I have no idea what we even do with these.”

Emma couldn’t help but laugh as he held the bag up as if it was going to come alive and bite him. She took the bag from him and placed one on a stick. She held it out over the fire and let it cook for a few minutes before letting him try the first one. Robin was right, and he did quite enjoy these puffy squares of sugar.

Roasting marshmallows over the fire, looking out over the town they now called home, and his arm around his girl holding her close to him. What more could a pirate ask for in a second date? He thought it was perfect.


End file.
